Source: https://africageographic.com/blog/o...-specialist-botswana-found-voice-will-listen/
Opinion by human-wildlife conflict specialist: Botswana has found her voice about elephants – but will we listen?
Botswana elephants – to trophy hunt and cull, or not?
The current international furore over a Botswana government White Paper (discussion document) regarding elephant management necessitates an understanding of the entire picture. This post is one of six posts from various sources looking at this issue from different angles.
The other five posts you should read to get the full picture:
• Botswana government announcement – hunting ban should be lifted
• Opinion post from Dereck Joubert – conservation spokesperson, filmmaker and lodge owner
• Botswana 2018 aerial survey – of elephants, baobabs and cattle
• Botswana government questions elephant survey report by Dr Mike Chase
• Personal statement from Dr Mike Chase, who is being widely quoted (and misquoted) by international news media, with regard to elephant poaching statistics
OPINION POST FROM GAIL POTGIETER – HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT SPECIALIST
A sub committee appointed by President Masisi of Botswana recently made its recommendations in a White Paper regarding the hunting ban and human-elephant conflict. Among their recommendations, they suggest that the hunting ban be lifted, efforts are taken to confine elephants to the protected areas and/or reduce the population through culling, and that the government should focus on reducing human-elephant conflict. These statements are highly controversial among urbanised people in Western societies who are concerned about the rights of animals they don’t live with, whereas many Batswana welcome the statements – as is evidenced by the many comments on Facebook threads from people with Setswana-sounding surnames.
My purpose here is not to defend the list of recommendations, because a White Paper is in effect not final – it is merely a list of issues for further discussion. The social media furore of outraged people that predictably followed the White Paper announcement is largely driven by those with little understanding of the context in which these recommendations have been made. And so, I would like to provide that necessary context. Hopefully this context will give you a deeper understanding of what is going on in Botswana since former President Khama handed over the reins to President Masisi.
Read more here: https://africageographic.com/blog/o...-specialist-botswana-found-voice-will-listen/
Opinion by human-wildlife conflict specialist: Botswana has found her voice about elephants – but will we listen?
Botswana elephants – to trophy hunt and cull, or not?
The current international furore over a Botswana government White Paper (discussion document) regarding elephant management necessitates an understanding of the entire picture. This post is one of six posts from various sources looking at this issue from different angles.
The other five posts you should read to get the full picture:
• Botswana government announcement – hunting ban should be lifted
• Opinion post from Dereck Joubert – conservation spokesperson, filmmaker and lodge owner
• Botswana 2018 aerial survey – of elephants, baobabs and cattle
• Botswana government questions elephant survey report by Dr Mike Chase
• Personal statement from Dr Mike Chase, who is being widely quoted (and misquoted) by international news media, with regard to elephant poaching statistics
OPINION POST FROM GAIL POTGIETER – HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT SPECIALIST
A sub committee appointed by President Masisi of Botswana recently made its recommendations in a White Paper regarding the hunting ban and human-elephant conflict. Among their recommendations, they suggest that the hunting ban be lifted, efforts are taken to confine elephants to the protected areas and/or reduce the population through culling, and that the government should focus on reducing human-elephant conflict. These statements are highly controversial among urbanised people in Western societies who are concerned about the rights of animals they don’t live with, whereas many Batswana welcome the statements – as is evidenced by the many comments on Facebook threads from people with Setswana-sounding surnames.
My purpose here is not to defend the list of recommendations, because a White Paper is in effect not final – it is merely a list of issues for further discussion. The social media furore of outraged people that predictably followed the White Paper announcement is largely driven by those with little understanding of the context in which these recommendations have been made. And so, I would like to provide that necessary context. Hopefully this context will give you a deeper understanding of what is going on in Botswana since former President Khama handed over the reins to President Masisi.
Read more here: https://africageographic.com/blog/o...-specialist-botswana-found-voice-will-listen/
